Andrew Miles Ross, Advertising Scam, Illinois 2016

Springfield Man Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Prison for Operating Telemarketing Scam

Springfield, Ill. – A Springfield man has been sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison for operating a telemarketing scam that defrauded an estimated 6,500 small businesses across 32 states.

Andrew Miles Ross, 33, was sentenced on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016, to serve 42 months (three years, six months) in federal prison and to pay $14,389 in restitution for operating a telemarketing advertising scam.

Between 2005 and April 2011, Ross owned and operated a telemarketing company that used various names, including A. Ross and Associates and Coast-to-Coast Advertising, LLC, doing business as Nationwide Advertising and Nationwide Marketing.

The company sold advertising space on placemats or take-home menus purportedly to be used by popular Mexican restaurants. However, the telemarketers falsely represented to the businesses that they were employed by or associated with a local Mexican restaurant that was selling ad space on its placemats or take-home menus.

As a result of the scheme, Ross defrauded an estimated 6,500 small businesses, grossing an estimated $900,000 from 2005 to April 2011. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris, with the investigation conducted by agents of the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Ross was allowed to self-report to begin serving his prison term at a later date, as directed by the federal Bureau of Prisons. He pled guilty to the scheme on Aug. 25, 2015, and was ordered to pay $14,389 in restitution.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which led to Ross’s sentencing.

The case highlights the importance of being cautious when dealing with telemarketing companies, especially those that promise lucrative advertising opportunities.

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